Ease the Pain
by lalalala1
Summary: No demigod would heal her heart. Reyna knew that. It was true. But the pain could be eased by a demigod. And that demigod was Nico.


OKAY OKAY OKAY. So, I was looking at some Nico x Reyna and Nico x Will to see which one I liked better, because both could make sense in canon (at least, that's what I think), but I started shipping Nico x Reyna first so, here we go.

_Ease the Pain_

* * *

It was a bright, summer morning, with a big blue sky. It wasn't without its clouds, but they did nothing to block out the sun, making for a cheerful atmosphere in the world below. Up in the sky, hidden by the clouds, was a gleaming bronze dragon with two passengers.

"Enjoying the flight, Sunshine?" Leo asked.

"Very much so," Calypso answered. Leo smiled. Festus flew on, maintaining a steady course, since Leo was able to patch up his wing in a few minutes pretty easily, which was injured during the battle at Long Island. They were flying inside big, white puffy clouds that completely obscured them from any eyes that might've been watching from below. Both Leo and Calypso were enjoying the cool feeling of the water against their skin, which was collecting on them with each passing second.

It was silent except for the rush of the air, but it was a pleasant silence, not of the awkward kind. Leo and Calypso savored it.

The blissful silence was interrupted by a loud "Whoop!" from Leo, accompanied by a lot of creaking from Festus.

"What was that all about?" Calypso questioned. Leo couldn't believe his luck.

"Ho ho ho, WOOO-yeah! Long Island, baby! _That's_ what that was all about! Home of Camp Half-Blood!" Leo responded with a silly grin on his face. Calypso glanced from behind Leo and gasped. Sure enough, the coast of Long Island was just coming into view on the horizon, almost shining peach against the sparkling water.

"Home sweet home, buddy," Leo said as he patted Festus' head.

Only 5 minutes later, Leo was back home. Piper, Jason, Percy, and Annabeth were all ecstatic when they saw a bronze dragon swoop out of the sky and land on the top of Half-Blood Hill, which could've been no other than Festus! Festus' leg still wasn't in the greatest shape, though, so Leo fell off of him as soon as the broken leg touched the ground. Calypso had learned from watching Leo catapult into the sand at Ogygia, so she jumped off gracefully just in time.

"Having trouble, Valdez?" Calypso teased as she offered Leo his hand. Leo took it and got up, spitting some dirt out of his mouth along the way.

"But still kicking," Leo announced. When he saw all his friends staring at him, mouth agape (save for Jason, who lightly punched Piper in the shoulder with an "I told you so"), he spread his arms wide.

"Guess who's back!" he exclaimed.

* * *

Piper, Annabeth, Percy, and Jason were all so overjoyed to see Leo they decided against choking him for being infuriatingly stupidly noble and putting the rest of the 7 of the prophecy through what he did.

As he finished telling all his friends how Festus revived him with the physician's cure and ended up above Ogygia (making it sound more epic than it'd actually been), Calypso stepped up to Leo. She had decided to give him and his friends some space. After he was done, she pulled him in for a kiss. Leo didn't object. After a few seconds, they stopped to breathe.

"Well done, Leo," Calypso remarked as she pulled him in for another kiss. Leo was very happy that day.

* * *

Nico woke up with the sun casting patches of light across the floor of his cabin. At least, he _liked_ to think it was his cabin, but he'd be sharing it with Hazel the next weekend visit between Camp Jupiter and Half-Blood, and every other weekend visit from that. Speaking of weekend visits…

_It's Friday,_ Nico realized. This evening, the Romans would be coming. The next weekend visit was _today._ Nico grinned. He had gone to Camp Jupiter last weekend to visit Hazel (the first weekend visit between the two camps EVER), so this time he was staying. He looked forward to these visits, because it was always nice seeing his sister again.

It wasn't fun listening to the bickering between the Ares and Mars kids, though, Frank excluded. They were unbearably obnoxious. Nico sighed. He was groggy, since he just woke up, but he decided to go brush his teeth and get ready for the day anyway.

* * *

Reyna was annoyed.

She had specifically _told_ everyone to not pack too much. She was going to Camp Half-Blood, since Frank went last time. They'd agreed on taking turns between staying and leaving during the weekend visits. The announcement stated you could take a snack, some money if you planned to buy something, anything for makeup if you wanted, things like lotion and sunscreen, and clothes. You could bring your armor and your weapon, too, in case there was a rogue demigod, a monster, or you planned to play capture-the-flag, which almost everyone did.

Maybe she should've left out the clothes part, because now everyone was stressing over what to wear for the next couple days. She'd released the announcement at 11:30. Reyna checked the clock she had in her room. 12:20. 10 minutes until they had to leave. She grimaced and went to make another announcement.

* * *

"Finally!" Reyna shouted with joy as she leaped out of the SUV. It didn't take long to get to Camp Half-Blood. After Gaea's defeat, Camp Jupiter had been relocated to a location nearer Camp Half-Blood, which was supposed to make the exchange between the camps easier. It only took 4 days due to the construction skills of the camp.

She had no idea how Frank was able to stand it in those SUVs. It was cramped, it was loud, and it was stuffy. It didn't help that she really didn't have any friends to talk to in them. At Camp Jupiter, she was… a lone wolf. She never really took the time to associate with anyone, except for Jason when she became praetor.

Jason.

The boy she'd worked alongside for so long. The boy she'd liked for so long. Working together as praetors, it was hard not to become friends, since they do a _lot_ together. He was the only one she really talked to, and eventually, she found herself falling in love. She dreamed of going to some of their favorite temples together, she imagined kissing him, and raising kids. And then came the day he disappeared. Then came the day he returned with a girlfriend that WASN'T her…

"I will not find love where I wish or where I hope," Reyna muttered under her breath, "and no demigod shall heal my heart." That's what Venus said to her. She shook her head to clear it of those thoughts. She couldn't dwell on the past like that.

Reyna marched forward to Half-Blood Hill, about half the population of Camp Jupiter behind her.

* * *

Camp Half-Blood was pretty lively. Not just due to the Romans arriving, but also due to Leo Valdez's sudden appearance bringing cheer. Of course, it wasn't just him who had died, but knowing that one less demigod had left the living forever brought a feeling of happiness to most of the campers. Besides, Leo's joking and seemingly carefree attitude could bring a smile to almost anyone. A lot of people were astonished at the sudden appearance of Calypso, the prisoner of Ogygia. They were even MORE astonished at the fact she seemed to be Leo's girlfriend. The campers were able to get over it, though.

They'd just finished settling everyone in at the field camp the Romans had built during their stay at Camp Half-Blood immediately after Gaea's defeat when a bell sounded. Reyna checked the clock in the room she'd gotten. 1:20. Almost time for lunch.

* * *

Reyna didn't feel like sitting with most of the other campers, so she picked a table where she could be alone. This was actually Jason's table, but Jason was off chatting with the other 6 demigods of the prophecy save for Frank. Apparently, Leo was back, and they'd tell Frank the good news through Iris Message. Reyna wasn't complaining.

As Reyna quietly ate her food, she happened to glance out the dining hall window and saw the son of Hades sitting by himself on the grassy hill overlooking the strawberry fields. Nico di Angelo, the demigod she had traveled with on her quest to deliver the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood. She wasn't sure why he was there. Had he eaten already?

They were alike in many ways. Nico had a silver ring, and so did Reyna. Nico twisted it when he was nervous, and so did she. Nico disliked talking about his father, and so did she. Reyna wondered if she could have a chance with him as her boyfriend, given all the things they had in common. She might not be able to find love where she wished or hoped, but what about finding it somewhere she didn't originally expect to?

Reyna shook her head to clear it of thoughts of love for the second time that day. After all, it was no use. No demigod would heal her heart. That was coming from the love Olympian herself. She continued to eat in silence and solitude.

She turned her head back to the hill above the strawberry fields. Nico was still there, and for a second, she managed to catch his eye. Nico looked away.

It made sense to Reyna. Things were a bit awkward between them since Reyna had hugged him the evening the weekend visits were established. Nico really didn't want any of that awkwardness. Still, Reyna felt a little hurt. She'd taken a liking to him since their mission to bring the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood and stop the Greeks and the Romans from warring. A romantic liking.

Reyna willed herself to stop thinking about it. She didn't want to let thoughts of relationships bring her down, like they usually did if she thought about them for too long. Reyna decided to just focus on eating for now.

She loved the food. She'd ordered the magic dishes to have the kind of food she'd had back at home. Not Camp Jupiter, but where she grew up. The place she associated with her dad and her darkest secret. Reyna hated thinking about it, much less talking about it. Yet she'd told Nico about it.

He was the only person who knew, besides Hylla. The first person she ever trusted with that secret.

The first.

* * *

After Reyna had finished eating, she saw that Nico was still on the hill facing the strawberries. It perplexed her. Why was he still there? In actuality, Nico was thinking about a conversation he'd had with Will earlier.

"_You don't understand," Nico stated after Will had harassed him about wanting to be alone and whatnot when he turned down his offer of sitting at the Apollo table at lunch, "what it's like being a son of Hades. Don't you realize that no one accepts me because of it? Just like the gods didn't accept my father on Olympus for millennia."_

"_Oh, and what would YOU understand about acceptance, pray tell? All you know is how to __**shut people out!**__" Will countered._

That comment had stung more than Will realized or Nico expected. He'd left with a scowl, and went to sit on the hill that you could stare at the strawberry fields from. Alone. He liked it there. The smell of strawberries was enough to soothe anyone's nerves.

In a way, Will was right… was he?

Nico was always alone. He didn't really have any friends. He avoided people whenever possible. He-

Nico's stomach growled. He was hungry. Looking up from his spot on the hill, he decided to get some food.

Chatter filled the dining hall as Nico entered. As he made his way to the lunch tables, almost every single one was occupied. There wasn't any space he could sit, at first. That was, until he saw one at the far corner.

Generally, each lunch table belonged to a specific cabin, but there weren't any rules stating you had to sit at your table every single time. He walked over to the table, and realized it was Zeus' table. Jason wasn't there, but someone else was.

"Hey," Reyna greeted as she sipped some water. Nico sat down.

"Hey," he responded.

There were a few minutes of awkward silence as Nico ate the pasta he'd ordered the plates to produce.

"So… What's up?" Reyna asked, trying to start a casual conversation.

"Nothing much. Just Will being a little piece of…" Nico cut himself off.

"…Were you about to say an obscenity?" Reyna questioned, a smile sneaking onto her face.

"Yeah." Both Reyna and Nico burst out laughing, knowing what word he'd been about to shout.

"So… What was it about?" Reyna inquired. Nico repeated the conversation they'd had, word-for-word.

"Oh." Reyna frowned.

"Yeah…" Nico sighed.

There were a few more minutes of awkward silence. Reyna started twisting her silver ring, and, instinctually, so did Nico. Reyna noticed this.

_Does that mean he's nervous?_ Reyna wondered. Unbeknownst to her, Nico actually WAS nervous. What she didn't know was that Nico liked her back.

After a few more minutes, Nico finished his lunch. As he swallowed one last mouthful of spaghetti, Reyna burst out laughing once more. Nico flushed.

"What?" he protested.

"You have sauce all over your face!" It was true. While eating, a red coat of tomato sauce had worked itself onto Nico's face; making him look like a clown who went overboard on the makeup. As Reyna wiped tears that collected in her eyes from laughing, Nico furiously wiped the sauce off with a napkin, mumbling to himself.

"Stop laughing," Nico muttered.

"Sorry, I can't," Reyna managed to say in between giggles. Nico's face was still red even after all the sauce was gone, while Reyna's was, too, from laughing. As Reyna finally caught her breath, Nico lightly punched her in the stomach, erupting another giggle from her. She slapped his arm away.

"Hey! Don't touch me there!" Reyna commanded sharply. A smile crept onto Nico's face.

"Are you…?" Nico asked threateningly. Reyna gulped.

"Uhh…" was all she could muster. Without warning, fingers were scribbling all over Reyna's sides.

"He-Hey! Stop!" Reyna cried out as she started laughing uncontrollably again. She immediately reached toward Nico and started tickling him as well. He tried to pry Reyna's arms off of him, but Reyna kept attempting to get them back on. This lead to them just waving their arms straight out in front of them, like a slap fight, giggling the whole time.

Eventually, after a couple of minutes, Reyna snuck a poke in the middle of Nico's stomach and giggled girlishly, which earned a snicker from him. She continued to poke Nico in his stomach and sides, until Nico was laughing like a maniac and had his arms wrapped around himself as if he was cold.

"Stop," Nico pleaded.

"But what if I don't want to?" Reyna teased.

"You still have to," Nico answered. Reyna pouted.

"Fine. But just because I'm a nice person."

"Yeah, right, you are." Reyna smiled.

"Mhm." At this, both Reyna and Nico had a serious stare-down, watching the other's every move. After a few seconds of this, both just laughed again.

They put their heads down to drink some water, never taking their eyes off each other. Even after they'd drained their cups, they continued to look at each other. It was almost like a challenge: _Dare you. Tickle me again._

After a couple minutes of doing so, both started to giggle.

"We should stop," Reyna chuckled.

"Probably," Nico agreed. They looked up at the clock on the back wall. It was 2:20. Lunch was almost over.

"Let's leave," Reyna suggested.

"Alright," Nico replied.

They headed out together, with a few knowing glances from some Aphrodite and Venus girls. Exchanges of coins could be heard as they made their bets.

"First kiss will _so_ be at the lake."

"At the field camp."

"At the Hades cabin!" The group of girls giggled as they disappeared from view.

* * *

Nico's feet knew where they were going before he did. He went back to his spot on the hill, with Reyna following him. Reyna sniffed.

"Smells like strawberries." Nico pointed.

"That's because they're right there." Reyna sat down and gazed at the endless patches of them. A fresh breeze came their way, letting the sweet aroma waft over them and into their noses. Nico sat next to Reyna.

"You know," they both began. They instantly turned their heads to each other.

"You go first," Reyna offered.

"No, you," Nico insisted. Reyna sighed. She steeled her will. She'd done this before, and faced rejection. Might as well get it out now, right? She wouldn't be surprised if her feelings weren't returned. They never were.

Twice. Twice before. If it happened again, it'd be nothing.

Here goes everything.

"I like you." Reyna stared into Nico's eyes with a resolve matched by none. Her face was red from confessing. Nico was astonished, to say the least.

"…You… do?" Nico questioned, wondering if he'd heard right. Reyna nodded.

"Tha-That's what I was gonna say!" Nico blurted, bewildered. Reyna widened her eyes.

"Really?" This time, Nico was the one to nod.

They moved their heads closer, inch-by-inch, until their lips finally connected. When they parted, Reyna smiled, as did Nico.

"So…" Reyna started.

"Yeah," Nico answered the unspoken question.

They turned their heads back to the strawberries, breathing in the scent and wrapping their arms around each other in a hug, the other's warmth enveloping them.

Reyna finally figured out what Venus meant.

No demigod would heal her heart. That was true. The wounds would never go away.

But a demigod could ease the pain.

And that demigod was Nico.

* * *

Wow, I think this is my best piece of work since You're Not Alone.

Special thanks to:

Mistirysnails, RosettaReaper, and Alizaekat004 for being awesome.

Rick Riordan for writing this wonderful series.

And you, for reading.

Anyways, I hope this was good. Reviews are greatly appreciated!


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